Socio-Economic Factors Contributing to Crashes Involving Motor Tricycles in Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Abstract

Commercial passenger motor tricycles are a recent addition to the vehicle mix in urban areas of Ghana having been introduced in about 2015. While they serve a good purpose and fill a niche in the transport market in Ghanaian cities, this mode of transport is characterized by several road crashes that sometimes result in fatalities. Consequently, the objective of this study was to understand social and economic factors as well as motor tricycles’ operational characteristics and related crashes. A detailed study of this mode of transport in the study area revealed that the socio-economic factors that contribute to crashes involving commercial motor tricycles include the revenue per day, amount spent on fuel per day, and operating days, but with a negative relationship between daily revenue and amount spent on fuel and crash severity. Operational characteristics studied revealed a general improvement in operators’ level of education, a situation where owner-operators are more careful with their vehicles, patrons’ preference for new tricycles, and relatively good returns from operations of these vehicles. Operators also work for long hours and on all days of the week. Further analysis of the data revealed that there are major safety concerns. While the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) reports a fatality share of 28% with an annual increase of 3.9% for motorcycle-related crashes in Ghana, the National Road Safety Authority, in the year 2010, indicated a crash rate of more than 50% which is yet to be updated. Recent data for 2019 published by the BRRI estimate a rate of 8.15 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles with a total of 829 total crashes in 2019 for motorcycles, tricycles, and rickshaws and 2.7 motorcycle fatalities per 10,000 vehicles. Similar data are yet to be estimated for motorcycles and commercial tricycles in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area. However, our study revealed a crash rate of 67% for motor tricycle operators in the study area on account of an increase in population, low initial capital cost, and the ability to maneuver in inaccessible areas. It is recommended that, in view of the preponderance of passenger tricycles in the study area, massive educational campaigns involving all stakeholders be pursued.